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Behavioral correlates of cheating: Environmental specificity and reward expectation
Michael Isakov1, Arnav Tripathy2
1Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, Sudbury, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Plos One
|October 27, 2017
Summary
Academic dishonesty in high schools is influenced by societal norms and peer interactions. Reminders of norms and clear anti-cheating environments can reduce dishonesty, especially when potential rewards are low.
Area of Science:
- Educational Psychology
- Sociology of Education
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Academic dishonesty is a significant issue in educational settings.
- High school grades critically influence future academic and career paths.
- Societal pressures for achievement exacerbate academic dishonesty.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of societal norms and peer interactions on academic dishonesty in high school students.
- To identify factors that mitigate or exacerbate lying about scores for personal gain.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a matrix search task to assess dishonesty, independent of class difficulty.
- Examined the impact of societal norm reminders (e.g., pre-reported average scores) on self-reporting.
- Analyzed demographic factors (gender) and temporal factors (time of day) related to cheating behavior.
Main Results:
- Societal norms in classroom settings significantly reduce minor dishonesty, suggesting context-dependent rewards offset cheating.
- Reminders of societal norms promote more truthful self-reporting.
- Males exhibited higher rates of cheating than females, and dishonesty was more prevalent earlier in the day.
Conclusions:
- An environment that clearly discourages dishonesty can effectively dampen cheating behaviors.
- The perceived reward for exaggerating performance is a key factor in the decision to cheat.
- Students understand that cheating is wrong, but environmental and social factors play a crucial role in behavior.
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